Download training manuals, checklists, and instructional documents.
Videos
Our training video series explores topics in brooding, record keeping, poultry housing, and nutrition.
Apps & More
The FeedMix app will be available at no cost from app sites. The app will enable farmers to simply tick boxes of available feedstuffs (maize, cassava, etc.) and the type of birds being grown to calculate a basic diet.
Documents
The Poultry Multiplication Initiative Brooder Unit Manual
The World Poultry Foundation has developed this Brooding Manual to assist in the proper care and production of healthy dual-purpose chicks. This training manual has been developed to guide and assist in the proper management and care for flock of day-old chicks. It has been formatted in Chapter form to make navigation of the manual user-friendly. Each chapter is designated for a specific management category, although there will be some overlap among the chapters.
The World Poultry Foundation prepared this set of worksheets to help manage a poultry house. The worksheets cover topics such as poultry house capacity, weighing chicks, crop fill and properly locating thermometers.
The World Poultry Foundation developed this collection of checklists to help manage poutlry houses, with helpful lists covering chick arrival, weighing your chicks, morning & evening recommended routines, feed, vaccinations and biosecurity.
Cleaning and disinfecting the poultry house after each flock is a critical component of successful brooding
All organic matter must be removed from the house and disposed of properly
After the house is cleaned, make any necessary repairs to the floor, sidewalls, curtains, wire mesh, and roof
Proper and complete use of disinfectants must be utilized after all organic matter has been removed from the house
The house should sit empty for a recommended 14 days before your next flock
Zone of Comfort
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Have the house properly heated and all feed and water within the house prior to the arrival of the chicks
You need a minimum of 5 cm (2 inches) of bedding material
Have a minimum of one heat source for every 100 chicks
Eliminate cool spots and air drafts within the brooding chamber
Maintain a minimum of 29 degrees Celsius (84F) for the first week.
Observe your chick’s behaviors closely for signs of stress.
Feed
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Have feed and water out prior to the arrival of your birds
Avoid wastage of feed
Purchase blended feed from a reputable vendor
Make sure the particle size of the feed is appropriate for the age of your birds
Store feed in a dry rodent-proof area
After 5 weeks of age, only small amounts of supplemental feed may be required for dual-purpose breeds
Make sure birds always have access to clean water
Water Supply
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At normal temperatures, chickens typically consume twice as much water as feed and during periods of high temperature, water consumption can double or triple
The first water the chick sees and drinks upon arrival must be at room temperature to avoid chilling of the chicks and creating quality and stunting issues.
If the quality of water is such that you will not drink it, then it is not good enough for the chickens
Regularly wash the waterers in soap and water and apply any simple disinfectant that you have access to
Place 1 waterer for every 50 chicks, spaced evenly across the room. Pay attention to the height of the waterers so birds can drink, but also keeps litter out of the drinker
Litter
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Always keep litter dry
Dry litter hinders bacteria and mold growth and helps control ammonia levels
Material used for litter should be highly absorbent, lightweight, and non-toxic
Check regularly to assure drinkers are properly maintained and not leaking water
Used litter has value as a fertilizer for crop production
Record-Keeping
Vaccinations
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Purchasing a hatchery-vaccinated day-old chick for brooding provides a healthier bird
Although the hatchery will vaccinate the chick, booster vaccinations at the brooder unit may also be required
Consultation with a poultry health professional will provide insight into booster timing and need for your flock
Vaccines stimulate the immune system to produce antibodies in chicks, providing them immunity to diseases and should be given to healthy birds
Vaccines need to be transported and stored at certain temperatures (between 2 – 8 degrees C) or their quality/effectiveness may be affected
Vaccines do have expiration dates, be sure to check your expiration date before use
Most vaccines can be delivered through water, but directions for doing so must be followed exactly
After vaccinating or giving a vaccination booster, keep record of the date and lot number for your vaccine
Managing for Success
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You cannot manage what you do not measure
Keeping records and checking for FLAWS provides you the opportunity to become a better manager and produce healthier birds
You should keep daily and weekly records and observational notes when you are in the poultry house – do not rely on your memory to fill in the form at a later time
Keeping records allows you to compare one flock to another, and identify and correct any production or management problems
Keeping records will allow you to calculate the amount of income you have made on each flock
Poultry Housing
Biosecurity
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Biosecurity on the farm is important for your family’s health as well as the health of your chickens
Biosecurity is a set of preventive measures designed to reduce the risk of transmission of infectious diseases between people and livestock
Immediately repair any holes in the walls, wire mesh and roof which may allow for rodents, snakes, birds and other animals to enter the poultry house
Before you or anyone else enters the poultry house be certain that everyone has washed their hands with soap and water. Also wash after leaving the house.
Have a set of plastic boots just outside the poultry house door to wear when entering the house. These boots should be cleaned daily.
Poultry Housing
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All poultry houses must protect chickens from unfavorable weather conditions, provide good ventilation, and have some means to control the temperature
All houses should have solid floors and walls which can easily be cleaned and disinfected
All houses must protect the chickens from predators, water leaks, wild birds, snakes, rodents, and diseases
You must inspect the house on a regular basis and repair any holes in walls, curtains, screens, and cracks in the floor
The house needs to have electricity and a close, clean water source
Small Scale Production
Small-Scale Production
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Purchase birds from a brooder to assure you acquired chickens which have been properly brooded and vaccinated
At night, take care to confine the birds in an area with access to fresh water
Train hens to lay in the coop and collect eggs every day
It is best not to try and hatch eggs from dual-purpose birds as offspring will not perform to your expectations
Keeping birds is a way to enhance family income and improve diets
Diet Diversity
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Dual-purpose breeds grow faster and produce more eggs than local breeds
Additional egg production should first be consumed at home, especially by young children, pregnant women and new mothers
Excess eggs and market weight males may be sold to pay fees, expand the current flock and provide for diet diversity
Young children should always be kept away from chickens, especially when the birds are confined, to reduce the chance of transmission of disease to the child
Store eggs in a clean, dry and cool place to protect their quality and food safety
Eggs with cracked and broken shells should be discarded
Thank you to Silverlands for their support in creating the videos.
Apps & More
Coming Early 2023: The FeedMix App
Feed quality and access in the rural areas is a challenge for farmers and producers in the developing countries. Due to this, many producers blend their own feed from locally available feedstuffs for their livestock. This presents a problem, not on in formulation accuracy for the nutritional needs for their locally produced poultry, but also in the use of optimal ingredients for poultry diets.
Recognizing this challenge, the World Poultry Foundation funded the development of a Feed App through partnership with the University of Georgia. This feed App (FeedMix), which will be available at no cost from App sites, allows the farmer to simply tick boxes of available feedstuffs (maize, cassava, etc.) and the type of birds being grown, and it will calculate a basic diet.
